The Riots of 1953 — Page 21
21 the disturbances at Lyallpur are mentioned in Appendix “E” wherein these facts are placed in detail. 22. For proper appreciation of the Ahmadiyya-Ahrar con- troversy the Anjuman has described in some detail the activities of the Ahrar and briefly also those of the Jamaat-i-Islami in the pre-partition period. This survey will be incomplete if the activi- ties of the Ahmadis for the same period are not placed before this Honourable Court. The Anjuman can state with full confidence that throughout its history the Ahmadiyya Community has never lost an opportunity to put in its best efforts in the cause of Islam and the Muslims. There have been many occasions when it was put to a test but there has not been a single instance which the Anjuman can recall when it did not rise fully to the occasion and exert itself to the utmost of its capacity in the service of Islam and the Muslims. Some instances are given below. 23. In the year 1923 the Arya Samajists launched on a very large scale a Shudhi campaign to convert Muslims to their creed in parts of the U. P. Their efforts met with considerable success, and Muslims all over India were considerably perturbed over this. On this occasion the Ahmadiyya Community set up their Tabligh headquarters at Agra and its zealous volunteers came out in hundreds and in a very short time succeeded in completely stemming the tide of Shudhi. It was acknowledged by the sane elements of the Muslims of the period that the Community which really succeeded in putting down the Shudhi activities of the Arya Samajists and in fact turning the scales against them was no other than the Ahmadiyya Comnunity. 36 Even the Founder of the Ahrar Party Ch. Afzal Haq expressed himself in the following language:- 36 Zamindar, 24. 6. 23, Zulfiqar, Lahore 16. 1. 24.